Anesthesia, Surgery May Double Dementia Risk

Anesthesia and surgery significantly increase the risk for dementia, new research suggests.

A large population-based study conducted by investigators at the Neurological Institute in Taipei Veterans General Hospital, in Taipei City, Republic of China, showed that the risk of developing dementia nearly doubled within 3 to 7 years of anesthesia and surgery. In addition, the average time to dementia diagnosis was shorter in patients who had anesthesia and surgery compared with their counterparts who did not undergo these procedures.

The study adds to "growing concerns that anesthetic agents may have neurodegenerative complications," study investigator Jong-Ling Fuh, MD, of the Neurological Institute, told Medscape Medical News.

"In vitro and animal studies showed that inhaled anesthetic drugs can promote amyloid beta oligomerization and impair memory. However, it remains controversial whether anesthesia and surgery contribute to the development of dementia in human studies," she said.

"This population-based study provides statistically sound evidence for the association of dementia with anesthesia and surgery. Our findings support the view that patients who undergo anesthesia and surgery may be at increased risk of dementia."

"Although we do not know how to mitigate the risk of dementia after anesthesia and surgery at this point, physicians and surgeons should be more vigilant about the possible development of long-term cognitive decline postoperatively in patients who have undergone anesthesia and surgery," Dr. Fuh added.

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